Don’t Push Agile, Pull It
Note: This article is updated at Don't Push Agile, Pull It.
I wrote my first article for Projects at Work. It’s called Don’t Push Agile, Pull It, and it’s a simple recipe for introducing Agile into established organizations, in a more effective way. Here it is:
If you’re ever rolled-up your sleeves and tried to champion new ways of doing things into an established organization, then you know how tough change can be. In fact, it’s not just tough. It’s often how, careers end. If you don’t have the right sponsorship and the right change leadership skills to lead people through the organizational change, you take the brunt of the blame, or become the scape-goat for pain.
That’s why change leadership skills are an important part of your arsenal for getting results.
Even when you have a coalition of the willing, it can be incredibly tough to change the habits of people, the processes or the way things are done, and the tools and infrastructure that reinforces the well-established ways.
As you can imagine, this is a serious and significant challenge in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace, where change is on warp speed, and businesses are forced to adapt or die.
In fact, that’s largely why more and more organizations have a strong appetite for Agile -- Agile embraces change as a first-class citizen.
But, how do you get an organization to change from its waterfall ways, or less-than-agile culture?
That’s what I’ve had to learn, time and again, as I’ve helped individuals, teams, and leaders make the shift. I’ve also had to make rapid shifts as I’ve moved around during my career.
Along the way, I’ve learned some very simple, but very powerful ways to help teams rapidly adopt Agile practices, and get results. And, this goes well beyond the halls or walls of software.
Here’s the first blurb that introduces to the article:
“Introducing Agile methods to a team in an organization deeply rooted in waterfall ways is tough, especially when the culture is risk-averse and well-established. But you can be a catalyst for change and help your team learn to be more agile by following three simple practices.”
Please enjoy Don’t Push Agile, Pull It and be sure to share it with friends and colleagues that you know need some help in adopting Agile practices to help their team or business survive and thrive in our ever-changing landscape.
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